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Grilling Politicians

Politicians' Answers to Questions in Television Interviews and Courtroom Examinations

Second University of Naples

Marino Bonaiuto

University of Rome "La Sapienza"

This research can be regarded as a "natural experiment" on political equivocation in which the language of five well-known politicians, taken from television interviews, is compared with the language of five different politicians speaking in a courtroom setting. Videotapes from both contexts were transcribed and then systematically analyzed by means of reliable category systems of questions and answers based on the literature. Italian politicians employ elaboration as their preferred answer, both in television interviews and in courtroom examinations. Differences exist between legal and political contexts in the distribution of questions, answers, and in their associations (i.e., in different contexts the same questions have a different effect on answers). The findings are discussed in terms of the "situational" theory of political equivocation, integrated with a "contextual" explanation.

Key Words: political language • questions • answers • equivocation

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